Rating: NNNN
Nicely timed to coincide with the Pixies’ Sellout reunion tour/cash grab, this comp, released in conjunction with a DVD of vintage performance and video highlights, is 4AD’s second stab at pulling together the college rock icons’ shining moments in a single album. There’s some overlap between Wave Of Mutilation and 1997’s Death To The Pixies, and other than the convenience factor, this semi-chronological 23-song career overview is cool cuz it lets you play the “who produced what?” game. Gary Smith’s rougher lo-fi vibe is well suited to selections from 87’s underrated Come On Pilgrim EP, but Steve Albini’s flattening production sounds horribly dated. Most striking is Gil Norton’s reshaping of the band’s sound, particularly his ability to coax pleasing vocals from the throat of whiny shrieker Black Francis. The B-side cover of Neil Young’s Winterlong also kicks ass. Hardcore fans will have it all already, but this is an excellent primer.
